Supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and their employees—particularly in rural and underserved communities—is a critical part of the work of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Beyond training needs, education gaps, and market access barriers, SMEs also face challenges regarding access to technology, data, and finance. Understanding and addressing these obstacles was the impetus for this TTC report, U.S. SME Access and Use of Digital Tools, which I am pleased to present as an important step to ensure access to digital tools and technologies by SMEs.
Established by President Biden, European Commission President von der Leyen, and European Council President Michel in June 2021, the TTC is designed to deepen the economic partnership between the United States and the European Union and to coordinate our approaches to new technologies, including those technology and policy issues most critical for SMEs. This report represents an important outcome of the TTC Working Group on SME Access to and Use of Digital Technologies. More importantly, this report lays the foundation for policies that address concerns critical to SMEs and serves as a resource to business leaders and policymakers alike.
This report summarizes findings on U.S. SME access to and use of digital tools. It analyzes research and data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It notes the benefits, characteristics, and barriers related to the use of digital technologies by SMEs. Furthermore, this report contains summaries of three roundtables that were held with SMEs in the United States, which inform the TTC’s focus on how to increase SME uptake of digital tools that can grow their business. This report, and similar reporting from the European Union, will serve as the basis for actionable policy recommendations for U.S. and EU policymakers to promote the uptake of digital tools by SMEs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Digital Tools Report
Recommendations from the U.S.-EU TTC Working Group on Promoting SME Access to and Use of Digital Tools
The TTC Working Group 9, “Promoting SME Access To and Use of Digital Tools,” focuses on promoting the digital tools that enable SMEs to innovate, grow, and compete. The Working Group proposed certain recommendations to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs and to ensure that they are at the forefront of the next phase of digital transformation.
Digital Tools Recommendations
TTC Joint Roadmap on Evaluation and Measurement Tools for Trustworthy AI and Risk Management
December 1, 2022
This Joint Roadmap aims to guide the development of tools, methodologies, and approaches to AI risk management and trustworthy AI by the EU and the United States and to advance our shared interest in supporting international standardization efforts and promoting trustworthy AI on the basis of a shared dedication to democratic values and human rights.
TTC Joint AI Roadmap
